Aarp

[SavingBucks]

I haven't signed up for AARP so far,but am wondering if anyone here has any opinions on joining - both pro and con.

[disneysteve]

No cons at all. We joined as soon as my wife turned 50 ten years ago. I enjoy the magazine and newsletter. And they do great work advocating for the rights and needs of older people. The discounts aren’t a huge deal IMO but it doesn’t cost anything so it can only help.

[Tabs]

I personally did not feel it was worth the money. True, it's not asking for a lot, but I don't travel frequently, so I don't need the discounts to dining or hotels, which admittedly isn't that bad of a discount at all.

You will also get a lot more junk mail in your mailbox, with all kinds of ads and promotions for further spending. I am not a personal fan of junk mail.

They also offer health and financial resources and tools, but I found none of that necessary in my case? Maybe mildly helpful at best. My feeling is, if you don't have at least a basic grasp of this kind of stuff by at least age 50, I fear for your future. And if you do, then you don't really need AARP's assistance. Still though, it's good that they are there, I just didn't find it all that useful.

The cost is low enough that I say it wouldn't hurt to try it for a year and see if it works for you. I should also add that I might change my mind some day, but for now anyways, I don't see the need for it myself.

[disneysteve]

I guess I look at it in terms of a small donation to support a really important cause that comes with a few decent perks. Don’t join for the discounts. Join because you want to help the work they do. And I do find their publications fun and informative too. I’ve heard others complain about junk mail but I can honestly say it has never bothered me. 95% of what comes in the mail is junk so I really don’t notice if some is from them.

[Fishindude77]

We joined AARP for the motel discounts and roadside assistance package. Found out our auto insurance covers the roadside assistance anyway and the motel discounts have not amounted to much.
They claim to be non partisan, but if you do a little investigation you can find out that they back certain political issues and always lean towards one party which I generally disagree with.
We're not going to renew membership.

[ua_guy]

We joined AARP for the motel discounts and roadside assistance package. Found out our auto insurance covers the roadside assistance anyway and the motel discounts have not amounted to much.
They claim to be non partisan, but if you do a little investigation you can find out that they back certain political issues and always lean towards one party which I generally disagree with.
We're not going to renew membership.

I feel like they support the security, health and well being of "retired" people as a general age group to mean "older" and/or "have increasing healthcare needs". I guess if that's "one" political party, so be it. It would be weird if they supported political causes opposite of their mission, right?